Jaguar

During the 2022 edition of Northern California’s Monterey Car Week, this 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition coupe is sure to be a star of the Bonhams auction at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club, in Carmel, Calif., on August 19. Yet this car has been a star long before now, as it’s one of only 12 examples made by the factory and was raced at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans by Walt Hansgen and Augie Pabst as drivers for Briggs Cunningham’s eponymous team.

A racer, team owner and constructor, Cunningham played a big role in postwar motorsports and even tried his hand at building sports and GT road cars in the first half of the 1950s. Following that endeavor, Cunningham became the East Coast Jaguar distributor, after which he campaigned a Jaguar D-Type and several racing XKs over the next few years. By 1957, Jaguar’s D-Type had taken its third victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but a new model was underway. That was the E-Type, which debuted in 1961, and with its advent, Cunningham entered a roadster at Le Mans in June 1962 with support from the factory.

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Even more competitive, though, was the E-Type Lightweight Competition, developed by the factory as a response to Maranello’s threat in the form of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Cunningham eventually acquired three Lightweights, chassis No. S850659, S850664 (this car), and S850665. Incorporating aerodynamic cues from an earlier Jaguar works car known as the Low-Drag Coupe, the Lightweight comprises an alloy body and hardtop that adds rigidity to the aluminum structure. The alloy 3.8-liter inline-six competition engine develops 293 bhp at 5,750 rpm, and was upgraded with Lucas fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and, eventually, a five-speed manual ZF transmission.

The 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition being offered by Bonhams at its Quail Auction on August 19. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

The Lightweight’s chassis features four-wheel independent suspension—with revised geometry—and four-wheel disc brakes with the rears mounted inboard. Not intended for homologation by the factory, the model was never formally marketed or acknowledged in Jaguar sales collateral. Backed with official factory support, Cunningham entered three Lightweights in the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans, with one car driven by Bob Grossman and Cunningham himself finishing ninth overall and second in class.

The cockpit where drivers Walt Hansgen and Augie Pabst took turns behind the wheel during the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

This example being offered through Bonhams is the seventh Lightweight built and the second of the three vehicles purchased by Cunningham. With the ZF five-speed gearbox still in the works, chassis No. S850664 was equipped with a Jaguar four-speed gearbox for the Le Mans race. That transmission failed within an hour, forcing an early retirement after qualifying at 14th on the starting grid. Following Le Mans, the factory installed a five-speed gearbox and front hood, and Cunningham brought the car to the United States where it briefly—but successfully—competed at the Road America 500 and Bridgehampton in 1963 before finally going to Cunningham’s museum in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The three Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition race cars campaigned by Briggs Cunningham’s team, circa 1963. 

Bonhams

Starting in the early 1970s, chassis No. S850664 had many different owners and became involved with vintage racing in the UK, eventually undergoing a careful restoration. It was most recently acquired by the consignor at Bonhams’ 2017 Quail Auction. Importantly, this highly coveted Lightweight retains its original aluminum engine and is presented as it appeared in 1963 at Le Mans. It is also accompanied by extensive period documentation including owners’ correspondence and period photographs, and has been featured in the most important publications on the marque.
Click here to see photos of the 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight presented by Bonhams.

The 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition being auctioned through Bonhams. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

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An ultra-exclusive road car based on one of Jaguar’s greatest racers is about to go up for grabs.

RM Sotheby’s will auction off a 1991 XJR-15 as part of its upcoming Monterey Car Week sales slate. Not only is the stunning speed machine one of the best looking supercars of the 1990s, it’s also one of only 27 examples that were street legal.
At the dawn of the 1990s, Jaguar was back on top of the endurance racing world. The British marque had been a winner’s circle fixture during the ‘50s, but had gone decades without tasting victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Jag finally reclaimed the checkered flag in 1988 and repeated the feat in 1990. Those races were won by two different (but related) cars, the XJR-9 and XJR-12, both of which were built by Tom Wilkenshaw Racing. The builder was able to convince the automaker that there would be interest in a road car inspired by the winning racers. This would end up being the XJR-15, which featured a chassis based on the one found in the XJR-9, a new futuristic design and was the first street-legal car made primarily of carbon fiber.

RM Sotheby’s

Jaguar Sport—a joint venture between the marque and Tom Wilkenshaw Racing—would build just 50 XJR-15s between 1990 and 1992. This particular example, chassis no. 018, was one of the street-legal models. The body—which was designed Peter Stevens, who was also responsible for the McLaren F1—is finished in a rich coat of metallic dark blue, which helps accentuate its elegant lines. The two-person cabin is spartan, but also equipped with two comfortable leather racing seats. Although the car is over 30 years old, it was restored to factory condition in 2015 and looks brand new.
The XJR-15 is as capable as it is good looking. It is powered by a mid-mounted 5.3-liter V-12 almost identical to the one found in the XJR-9. That mill was mighty enough to push the vehicle to a top speed of 215 mph when it was brand new. One quirk about this example—which is known as the “Japan Study Car” because it was used for aerodynamic and other testing—is that it’s equipped with a five-speed transaxle gearbox, instead of the race-tuned, six-speed gearbox found in other examples. It has only 1,000 miles of use, so it should drive pretty well too.

The XJR-15’s interior 

RM Sotheby’s

Interested in adding this historically important supercar to your garage? RM Sotheby’s expects the car to sell for between $1.2 million and $1.4 million when it hits the block on August 20. And considering the condition it’s in, that might just be a bargain.

Click here to see all the photos of the 1991 Jaguar XJR-15.

RM Sotheby’s

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There are plenty of special Jaguars from across the brand’s 86-year history, but only one was born of a collaboration with a Gucci family member. And now that vehicle could be yours.

A 1987 XJ-S V12 HE Lynx Eventer by Paolo Gucci will be auctioned off by Bonhams later this week as part of its Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale. The sporty shooting brake was originally intended to the first of a limited-run of vehicles, but because of legal dispute ended up being the only example to ever see the light of day.

If you’ve seen last year’s House of Gucci you already know that the 1980s was a hectic period for Paolo, who’s portrayed by a typically over-the-top Jared Leto in the film. The fashion designer spent much of the decade locked in a brutal legal battle with his father, Aldo, which culminated in Paolo having the elder Gucci removed from the family company in the middle of the decade and then tipping off the IRS that he’d also been evading taxes. A couple years later, Paolo—who’s credited with coming up with Gucci’s double-G logo—decided he wanted to style a limited-edition vehicle that would come with a matching set of the house’s luggage.

1987 Jaguar XJ-S V12 HE Lynx Eventer by Paolo Gucci 

Bonhams

Paolo would eventually land on Jaguar’s XJ-S grand tourer, a vehicle as synonymous with luxury and it was with performance during the 21 years it was in production (1975-1996). He didn’t want to work with just any XJ-S, though. Paolo specifically had his eye on the Eventer, a special shooting brake version of the car designed by British coachbuilder Lynx. The example that Paolo styled features a special two-tone paint job, with dark blue and light blue down split up by an orange pinstripe. Inside was a blue lacquered burr elm woodwork, hand dyed Italian calfskin upholstery, modified instrument dials, a leather steering wheel inlaid semi-precious lapis lazuli stones and an Alcantara suede headliner.
Unfortunately, the car would never go into production despite begin displayed at the 1990 Geneva Motor Show. A limited run of 20 units had to be scrapped because of legal issues. Paolo had left Gucci at that point and its lawyers successfully claimed he had no right to use its name to endorse the vehicle, according to the auction house. Because of this the project was cancelled after just one rolled off the line. The car would eventually end up in the hands of Jaguar enthusiast Ian Berg in 2015, who has had the car completely stripped and restored in the years since.

Inside the XJ-S Lynx Eventer by Paolo Gucci 

Bonhams

The one-of-a-kind Gucci-branded XJ-S shooting brake is set to go up for auction this coming Friday. Bonhams expects it to sell for between $86,000 and $123,000. That could even turn out to be a bargain considering how rare the vehicle is—even if it isn’t official.
Check out more of the XJ-S Lynx Eventer by Paolo Gucci below:

Bonhams

Bonhams

Bonhams

Bonhams

Bonhams

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee wasn’t just an opportunity for the British people to celebrate their 96-year-old monarch, it also gave Jaguar the chance to showcase its latest official restomod.

The marque’s restoration division, Jaguar Classic, debuted a beautiful 1965 Series 1 E-type roadster just in time for the event’s 15-car pageant on Sunday. The one-of-a-kind rebuild isn’t just meant to be a reminder of the brand’s glory days; it’s also proof that it can take the cars from that era and get them into near-new condition.

The restomod was commissioned by an anonymous Jag lover who was looking for a Series 1 E-Type convertible built the same year they were born. The automaker went a step further, sourcing an example that originally rolled off the line just two days after their 1965 birthday. That wasn’t all the enthusiast wanted, though. They also wanted the sports car finished in a custom hue of blue inspired by the Union jack and have a leather interior covered in red leather the same shade as that found on the UK’s famous post boxes.

Inside the Jaguar Classic E-type restomod 

Jaguar

The open-top roadster also has its fair share of modern-day upgrades. The original headlamps were replaced with a set of powerful LED lights, while the interior is equipped with the Jaguar Classic infotainment system. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles found on the brand’s current lineup of vehicles, but it has a small touchscreen that can be used for navigation and offers Bluetooth support.
The biggest modification, though, can be found under the car’s long-nosed hood. Sitting in the engine bay is a 4.7-liter straight-six mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. No power figures have been released, but the new mill is a half-liter bigger than that of the original car, which could produce 261 horse. It seems like a safe bet that this one—which Jaguar says delivers “superior” performance—can generate even more.  Other mechanical upgrades include a sports exhaust and manifold that ensure you can hear this Jaguar’s roar.

The 1965 E-Type used as the basis for the restomod 

Jaguar

“You sense the history and knowledge when you enter the Jaguar Classic Works facility and even after several visits, I still get excited to be in the building,” the vehicle’s owner said in a statement. “I’m so proud of the car the passionate team there has created, and I’m privileged to be part of its story.”

Per tradition, Jaguar has not revealed a price for the bespoke E-type. The 3.8-liter continuations the brand started selling last year through its E-type 60 Collection program start at $440,000, however. We suspect this one, which comes with much bigger engine and a spot in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, will cost a fair bit more.
Check out more images of the E-type restomod below:

Jaguar

Jaguar

Jaguar

Jaguar

Classic car enthusiasts will soon be able to own a vehicle fit for the screen—or at least the backlot. A 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series II roadster that appeared on the set of the classic Steve McQueen film Le Mans is going up for auction.

The 4.2-liter Jaguar is estimated to fetch between $308,000 and $431,000. It’s being offered in its completely original condition at Bonhams Monaco Sale, which apropos enough, is occurring during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The Swiss-registered vehicle was built to US specifications and has retained its neutral silver-and-black color scheme.

A peek inside the roadster 

Bonhams

The current owner is Fredy Zurbrügg, and it’s his story that really makes the car stand out. In the early ’70s, Zurbrügg was working as a chef on movie sets when he was asked by a production manager to join the on-location crew of Le Mans. In the 2017 book Our Le Mans, about the film, he noted that his encounters with McQueen were friendly, and he even invented a special meal for the actor, called the “Steve steak.”
At one point, McQueen offered a gift to Zurbrügg, allowing him to choose among a few different cars. The chef couldn’t drive at the time, but that didn’t stop him from accepting the actor’s gracious offer.
“I decided on the silver Jaguar, a convertible E-Type Series II with only 600 miles on the speedo,” he recalled. “It was a US version because it was supposed to be shipped back to America.”

The 1970 Jaguar on the set of Le Mans 

Bonhams

Zurbrügg did eventually get his driver’s license, adding a few thousand miles to the Jag. But its odometer still sits at fewer than 46,000 miles, a relatively low number considering the car is more than 50 years old.
“For many years I had no idea that I owned something so valuable,” Zurbrügg said in a statement.
Nobody else has owned the car in the intervening years, so its new owner will have a pretty direct link to Hollywood history.

Back in 1961, Jaguar’s iconic E-type model debuted at the Geneva Auto Salon. A dozen lightweight, low-drag versions of the racers were later released in 1963 in the hopes of giving Ferrari stiff competition in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Those ultra-rare editions have been nearly impossible to find over the years, but a new recreation may turn one collector’s dream into reality.

UK-based classic car dealer Will Stone Historic Cars is offering a pristine remake of the 1962 aerodynamic E-type racer. Built over a four-year period by Jaguar specialist Lynx, it is one of just two known examples in existence.

Front profile view of the E-Type remake. 

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

The first iteration of the E-type’s low-drag body was used on a 1962 prototype built by the marque’s Experimental Department. It was shelved to create a more lightweight version in 1963 that saw all 12 special editions built by hand with aluminum bodies for a slippery drag effect. The car is powered by an upgraded Crosthwaite & Gardiner engine with an alloy cylinder block, a Lucas slide-throttle fuel injection and a Lynx T5 five-speed gearbox. The 350 hp mill, which also features a revised combustion chamber, camshafts and variable-length exhaust, push the speed machine to a still-impressive 174 mph.
As a race car, the E-Type saw mixed results. Though the car was able to beat Ferrari GTOs at short distances, the low-drag models failed to take the checkered flag during the endurance classics. The limited-series’ highest achievement is credited to noted Jaguar racer Dick Protheroe. Driving the 1962 prototype of the low-drag E-type, he won against stiff GTO competition in Reims, France in a race of 25 laps.

The Jaguar E-Type Low Drag with dual exhausts at the rear. 

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Of course, the car’s biggest achievement may not have anything to do with its race record. Enzo Ferrari famously called the Jaguar E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made.” No small compliment coming from Ferrari himself.
The 1962 E-Type “Low-Drag” remake is now available for $458,826. Visit the car dealer’s website for more details on the listing, and check out more images below.

Profile shot of the racer with lifted hood and the exposed engine. 

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

Sam Frost/Courtesy of Will Stone Historic Cars

With Formula 1’s 73rd season just off the starting line, motorsport’s premier race series is in the midst of a turbocharged popularity surge thanks to last year’s riveting battle between seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and heir apparent Max Verstappen—not to mention the Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, with its focus on the real-life drama both inside and outside the cars.

But for the ultimate thrill, try a turn behind the wheel of an actual pedigreed F1 racer. Even decades-old competition chassis remain among the most high-tech, demanding and rare vehicles on the planet, and with the ability to pilot them around some of the world’s most famous circuits, you can consider the rest of your automotive bucket list obsolete.

1. Bovingdon Airfield

Hertfordshire, England
Instead of an F1 circuit, TrackDays will have you flying around England’s Bovingdon Airfield in the same Jordan EJ12 that Takuma Sato piloted through his rookie season in 2002. Before drivers take on the ex-Sato sled and its nearly 600 hp, 10,500 rpm V-10, the five-hour curriculum (starting at approximately $1,300) includes a preparatory 14 laps of skill-honing drills in a sports car, plus another 20 laps in an open-wheel F1000. For the finale, 10 laps in the Jordan await, though up to 20 more can be added for a supplemental charge.
Race Car: Jordan EJ12
Engine: 3.0-liter naturally aspirated Judd V-8
Power: 600 hp
2. Circuit Paul Ricard

Le Castellet, France
Founded and run by former F1 test driver and Formula 3 champion Laurent Redon, LRS Formula offers three levels of action. The Bronze experience includes a 650 hp Benetton B198 from 1998 or a 2001-season Prost AP04, while the Silver option introduces the 750 hp Jaguar R3, circa 2002. But it’s the Gold selection, priced from around $6,500, that unleashes the real fury: a 2011 Williams FW33 producing 750 hp at 18,000 rpm. (That’s down from the KERS-enhanced 830 hp on hand when Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado were in the cockpit, but don’t flatter yourself that you’ll miss it.) Drive days take place at acclaimed circuits in France, Spain and Portugal, and begin with stints in 200 hp Formula Renault 2.0 cars, the type Kimi Räikkönen raced prior to finding F1 glory.

Race Car: Williams FW33
Engine: 2.4-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V-8
Power: 750 hp
Other Circuits: Dijon-Prenois; Nevers Magny-Cours; Barcelona-Catalunya; Portimão
3. Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Stavelot, Belgium
With 22 years in operation, Italy’s Puresport Racing School puts you behind the wheel of the A18 racer campaigned by 1996 World Drivers’ Champion Damon Hill during his 1997 season with the Arrows team. Originally fit with a 700 hp Yamaha V-10, the car is now propelled by a 3.0-liter Cosworth V-8 delivering 500 hp at 9,000 rpm. (Prior to buckling in to Hill’s former ride, drivers warm up with 10 laps in a 255 hp Formula 3 machine.) With sessions starting at $4,300, set dates are available across famed European circuits in Belgium, Germany and Italy, where participants experience the tracks in their entirety. There’s also the option of a camera car to record your personal Grand Prix performance.
Race Car: Arrows A18
Engine: 3.0-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V-8
Power: 500 hp
Other Circuits: More than a dozen, including Hockenheimring, Imol and Monza
4. Dubai Autodrome

Dubai, UAE
Although the United Arab Emirates (UAE) currently hosts Formula 1 in its capital of Abu Dhabi, neighboring city Dubai is home to what is known as “the heart of UAE motorsport,” the Dubai Autodrome. Through the latter’s F1 experience, starting from about $2,700, drivers will familiarize themselves with the Autodrome’s 1.52-mile Club Circuit configuration in both a BMW 330i and a Radical SR3; after that, the real deal: a stint in a 550 hp version of the R1 race car used by the Jaguar team during the 2000 season. (You can also climb into an Arrows A23, also with 550 hp, from that team’s short-lived 2002 campaign.) That means a minimum of four laps around the FIA-sanctioned track, in the same type of vehicle British driver Johnny Herbert finished his career, and the exact car driven by his teammate Eddie Irvine.

Race Car: Jaguar R1
Engine: 3.0-liter naturally aspirated Judd V-8
Power: 550 hp

When Jaguar’s XK120 hit the scene in 1948, the open two-seat roadster caused a sensation. It was soon followed by a fixed-head coupe (FHC) in 1951, and, in 1953, a drophead coupe (DHC) that offered a more substantial folding top. All three models were stunning, curvaceous designs as modern as their engine, the reliability of which equaled its high performance. The United States was just discovering the allure of European sports cars, with the first MGs brought over right after the war by servicemen returning home. The nimble British sports cars whetted the appetites of hot-rodders, and were just the beginning of the import craze.

Compared to the Jaguar XK120, the MG’s seemed anemic with their spindly wire wheels, fenders and inline-4-cylinder engine. In contrast, the XK120 features an aerodynamic body and a 3.4-liter, twin-cam inline-6 power plant with a hefty output of 160 hp. The Special Equipment (SE) package boosted power to 180 hp. According to the factory, the XK120 was good for 120 mph, as proclaimed by its model name. By the time production ended in 1954, more than 12,000 had been made, making way for the XK140 and, in 1958, the XK150, whose successor became the exquisite E-Type in 1961.

This one-off 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE, with a body by Pinin Farina, will feature at the Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on March 3. 

Photo by Justin Leighton, courtesy of Bonhams.

A number of Italian coachbuilders had bodied Jaguar XKs throughout the 1950s, though re-envisioning the original shape, which was penned in just two weeks by Jaguar Cars co-founder Sir William Lyons, was a challenge not to be undertaken lightly. Notable was Ghia’s Jaguar XK120 Supersonic, of which three examples were built, embodying the same Space Age flair as the Supersonic series built on Fiat 8V chassis. Arguably the rarest, however, and certainly most elegant of the true one-offs was the 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE coupe by Pinin Farina.
The vehicle’s history begins with an Austrian named Max Hoffman, to whom Carrozzeria Pinin Farina (the company’s name changed to Pininfarina in 1961) dispatched the car new in May of 1954. Hoffman was an importer who probably had more to do with bringing European sports and luxury marques to America than anyone else. Hoffman conceived of Porsche’s Speedster in an effort to make the “expensive Volkswagen” more affordable and competitive. He also championed the BMW 507, and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” was his doing, too. As the Jaguar distributor for the East Coast, he commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a showroom on Park Avenue, though by the time it was completed in 1954, Hoffman had moved Mercedes in and Jaguar out.

The vehicle underwent a 6,725-hour restoration. 

Photo by Justin Leighton, courtesy of Bonhams.

The one-and-only Pinin Farina Jaguar XK120 SE was unveiled at the 1955 Geneva Motor Show. Although scheduled for exhibit at the 1956 Turin Motor Show, it failed to materialize, having been delivered to its new owner. While it is not known to whom Hoffman sold the car, the trail picks up again in 1958 with an owner from Connecticut, by which time it was painted red with a cream hard top. In 1972, the Italian one-off was acquired by a collector in North Carolina, who discovered the car in a field in Connecticut.
In 2015, UK-based Jaguar restoration specialist Classic Motor Cars (CMC) bought the car from a German collector, who, in 1978, had acquired it stateside with the intention of restoring it. As with so many well-intentioned projects, the work was never begun. The CMC mission was to complete a 100-point, nut-and-bolt restoration to the car’s original Pinin Farina specification, enhanced by the fact that the automobile retained its original engine and transmission.

A 3.4-liter, twin-cam inline-6 engine gives the car 160 hp. 

Photo by Justin Leighton, courtesy of Bonhams.

The project, however, was complicated by the need to fabricate elaborate components, like bumpers, from historic photos. According to David Barzilay, CMC’s marketing director, “We had to scan the front and rear end of the car and make mockups of the lights, which were then scanned and 3-D printed. Smaller missing parts were also 3-D printed in-house. The rear window was missing, so we also had to scan the window aperture and have a new rear screen made from the scan data.”
The original color for paint and upholstery were unknown, but small samples were discovered in the car’s nooks and crannies. After 6,725 hours of combined effort, the restoration was completed in time to show the reborn Jag at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2017.

The unique example on the show lawn of the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. 

Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

This Jaguar is one of a number of exceptional vehicles that will be offered by Bonhams at its Amelia Island Auction on March 3. Also among the lots crossing the block are a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, with body by Wendler, and a 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost with Barker & Co. coachwork. But what’s this unique Pinin Farina–bodied Jag worth? While the official estimate is “Refer to Department,” it’s a fair bet that the car will fetch north of $1 million.